Degree-day dispatcher



Jan. 15, 1963 R. D. MCINTOSH 3,073,282

DEGREE-DAY DISPATCHER Filed May 2. 1961 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,073,282 DEGREE-DAY DISPATCHER Roland D. McIntosh, 136 Front St., Bath, Maine Filed May 2, 1961, Ser. No. 107,203 Claims. (Cl. 116-133) This invention relates to a tickler system designed to call attention each day to those of a group of periodically serviced customers who presumably have become in need of being serviced on that day. More particularly, the invention is designed for oil dealers who supply fuel oil to a considerable number of customers and who aim to make deliveries in time to prevent any customer from running out of oil. The frequency with which any particular customer Will require replenishment of the oil in his tank will depend on a number of factors including the daily mean temperature outdoors. In order to avoid excessive frequency of deliveries without incurring the risk of a customers tank becoming empty, it is customary for dealers to calculate for each customer the number of degree-days which will ordinarily result in the consumption of say three-quarters of the oil in the customers ytank after it has been filled. During the winter season when the mean daily temperature is usually lower than 65 F., the numerical value of a degree-day is represented by the number by which the mean temperature for the day is less than 65 F. Thus, if the mean temperature for a certain day is '42 F., that day is designated as a ZS-degree-day. By noting the dates on which customers tanks are filled and making memoranda of the dates when the next delivery should be made to each customer, empty tanks can be avoided except sometimes in the case of extraordinary circumstances.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for simplifying the task of keeping track of the needs of the various customers and ensuring that no customer will be overlooked on a due date for oil delivery. To this end,

as hereinafter more fully described, an endless delivery device such as the circumferential margin of a turn-table is provided to hold cards each of which contains the' name and address of a customer as well as a notation of the number of degree-days to be allowed between deliveries.

--The turn-table is turned daily to bring to a point of reference the cards bearing the namesof the customers to whom deliveries should be made that day.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof, and to the drawing, of Which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diametrical sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the device shown in FIGURE 1.

The apparatus illustrated comprises a base consisting of a disk. Rotatably superimposed on this base is a smaller disk 12 coaxial with the base 10. On the disk 12 near the periphery thereof is a at annular ring 14 the radial width of which is a little more than the length of an address card 20. Rising vertically from the ring 14 and extending radially with respect to the axis of rotation are a series of thin partition members 22. These partition members extend from an inner circular strip 24 of similar material to an outer circular strip 26, these strips being secured respectively to the inner and outer edges of the ring 14 The partition members rise to a height above the ring 14 less than the width of a card so that when cards are placed in the compartments defined by the partition members 22 and the inner and outer circular strips 24 and 26, they extend up above the tops of the partition members 22 so as to be easily grasped. Between each two consecutive partition members 22 is a smaller partition member 28 which is preferably slightly lower than the partition members 22 and extends a short distance inward from the outer circular strip 26. The ring 14 and the disk 12 on which it is mounted are a form of endless conveyor which brings to a specified point of reference 30 on the peripheral margin of the base disk 10 the successive compartments defined by the partition members 22 and the cards 20 which are within the compartments.

The apparatus illustrated on the drawing is especially designed for use by an oil dealer who delivers oil to a considerable number of customers whose requirements may differ considerably. The rate at which any individual customer may burn oil in heating his house will depend on a number of factors including chieiiy the size and structure of the house itself and the mean daily temperature outdoors. The required frequency of deliveries will also depend on the size of the oil tank in the house. When a delivery is made, the tank is filled up and the quantity required to lill it is recorded. By comparing the degreeday number in the interval between successive deliveries vwith the quantity of oil required to till the tank, the figure for the degree-days corresponding to the consumption of a specified gallonage can readily be calculated. rlhis ligure is enteredon the customers card 2i) together with his name and address. On the shoulder 32 of the disk '12 outside of the ring 14, scale marks are put, together,

with numerals indicating degree-days, e.g. by tens from zero to 1800. The numbers progress counter-clockwise.

widened as indicated at 36 to facilitate more accurate reading.

In using the apparatus thus far described, the base 10 and disk 12 are clamped together temporarily by any suitable device such as a knurled nut 40 which is on the threaded upper portion of a post 42 which projects up through the two disks. The nut 40 when screwed down bears on a small metal plate 44 on the disk 12 and binds the disk 12 frictionally against rotation. When the disk 12 is thus clamped, cards 2l) are inserted in appropriate compartments between partition members 22 and 28 according to the degree-day rating entered'on each card, the degree-days being reckoned from the scale mark on the shoulder 32 which registers with the reference point 30 on the shoulder 34. When or before the heating season begins, all customers tanks are filled. Each day the number of degrees the mean temperature for the day is less than 65 F. is noted, and the disk 12 is rotated clockwise a corresponding distance. To facilitate rotation through the correct distance, a clamping member in a box 50 is provided on a radial arm 52 which is a flat strip extending outward from the post 42 and swingable about the post as an axis, the clamping member on its outer end moving along the peripheral edge of the disk 12 and bearing on the shoulder 34 of the base 10. As shown, thebox 5t) has a slot 54 through which is visible a semi-cylindrical lens 56. Under the lens 56 a slot (not shown) is provided through the arm 52 so that an observer can get a magnified image of the scale marks on the shoulder 34 directly beneath the lens 56. At one end of the lens 56 is mounted a friction pad 58 of felt, sponge rubber, or the like. To press this pad against the edge of the disk 12 a screw 6i? is threaded through the outer wall of the box 50. A knurled head 62 is on the outer end of the screw 60. On the inner end of the screw is a small disk 64 which is in a slot 66 in an end piece 68 attached to 3 the outer end of the lens 56. By turning the head 62. the observer can press the friction pad 53 against the peripheral edge of the disk 12 or withdraw it from contact with that edge.

Assuming that address cards 20 have been inserted in various compartments on the ring 14, as hereinbefore described, according to the calculated degree-days to elapse before the next oil deliveries should be made to the addresses on the cards, the operation of the apparatus is as follows. Each day the operator obtains from the weather bureau or other suitable source the mean temperature of the locality for the previous day. if the i gure is less than 65, the diterence represents the value of that degree-day. The clamping pad 58 being clear of the edge of the disk 12, the arm 52 is swung counterclockwise until the scale mark corresponding to the value of the current degree-day appears under a center line (not shown) on the plane face of the semi-cylindrical lens 56. The head 62 is then turned to press the pad 5S against the edge of the disk 12 so that both will rotate together as a unit. The nut 40 is turned to release the disk 12 for rotation. Then the arm 52 is swung clockwise to bring thelcenter line of the lens 56 back to the point of reference 30. This has the effect of advancing all the address cards 20 on the ring 14 toward the point of reference 30. The cards that thus reach a position registering with the point of reference are removed from their compartment, oil deliveries for that day are arranged to the addresses shown on those cards, and the cards are then replaced in compartments on the ring 14 in accordance with the degree-day rating on each card. They then resume the daily advance toward the point of reference, the size of each daily step depending on the number of degrees by which the mean temperature for the day is less than 65 F.

The apparatus herein described is particularly designed for use by an oil dealer, but by appropriate changes in markings on the disks, it could be used for other equivalent situations where occasional servicing or deliveries are required at intervals depending on individual requirements and interim circumstances.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a base, an endless conveyor movable on said base, said conveyor having a series of equally spaced partitions forming compartments adapted to receive cards, means operable to hold said conveyor against advancing movement or to release said conveyor, scale marks along a margin of said conveyor, similar scale marks including a point of reference on said base adjacent to said margin of the conveyor, a clamping device movable along the scale marks on said base, said device including means for clamping the device releasably to the margin of said conveyor at any selected point spaced from said point of reference for advancing movement of the conveyor and clamping device together as a unit.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a base in the form of a disk having a series of scale marks on at least a portion of its rim, a second disk rotatable on said base disk, means for frictionally locking said rotatable disk releasably to said base, a series of radially disposed uniformly spaced partition elements mounted on the circumferential margin of said rotatable disk forming compartments adapted to receive and hold address cards, a clamping device movable along the periphery of said base disk, and means operable to clamp said device to the periphery of said movable disk.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a base in the form of a disk, a rotatable disk superposed on said base and coaxial therewith, a series of uniformly spaced radially disposed partition elements on the peripheral margin of the rotatable disk forming compartments adapted to receive and hold cards, a radial arrn extending ontward from said axis to the periphery of said base disk and swingable about said axis, clamping means at the outer end of said arm operable to attach said arm to the rotatable disk for rotative movement therewith, and means for releasably binding said rotatable disk to said base disk.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 3, said apparatus also including scale marks and other indicia on the periphery of said rotatable disk, corresponding scale marks and indicia on at least a portion of the periphery of said base, and a magnifying lens carried by said clamping means in position to facilitate reading scale marks and indicia on said oase disk.

5. A method of daily calling attention to those of a number of customers requiring occasional deliveries of oil when needed who should be served on the current day, said method comprising providing a card for each cus tomer with an indication thereon of degree-days to elapse between deliveries of oil, placing each card on a conveyor at a distance from a fixed reference point equivalent to the number of degree-days marked on the card, daily advancing said conveyor past said reference point a distance equivalent to the current degree day, taking from the conveyor the cards reaching the reference point as a reminder to deliver oil to the customers represented by the removed cards, and replacing the removed cards on the conveyor, each card being spaced from the reference point by a distance equivalent to the degree-days indicated thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,606,240 Larkins Aug. 5, 1952 

1. APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A BASE, AN ENDLESS CONVEYOR MOVABLE ON SAID BASE, SAID CONVEYOR HAVING A SERIES OF EQUALLY SPACED PARTITIONS FORMING COMPARTMENTS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE CARDS, MEANS OPERABLE TO HOLD SAID CONVEYOR AGAINST ADVANCING MOVEMENT OR TO RELEASE SAID CONVEYOR, SCALE MARKS ALONG A MARGIN OF SAID CONVEYOR, SIMILAR SCALE MARKS INCLUDING A POINT OF REFERENCE ON SAID BASE ADJACENT TO SAID MARGIN OF THE CONVEYOR, A CLAMPING DEVICE MOVABLE ALONG THE SCALE MARKS ON SAID BASE, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE DEVICE RELEASABLY TO THE MARGIN OF SAID CONVEYOR AT ANY SELECTED POINT SPACED FROM SAID POINT OF REFERENCE FOR ADVANCING MOVEMENT OF THE CONVEYOR AND CLAMPING DEVICE TOGETHER AS A UNIT. 